


the story underneath the story

by monstermash



Category: Speaker - Rhi Reid
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, technically? idk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:50:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26740153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monstermash/pseuds/monstermash
Summary: Something, something, Cupid's arrow.
Relationships: The Speaker & The Seer, The Speaker/Clarkia
Kudos: 2





	1. the night they met

**Author's Note:**

> [Speaker](https://speakergame.tumblr.com/) is really good, check it out! and here's the [demo](https://dashingdon.com/play/haledamage/speaker/mygame/)
> 
> Clarkia is a pixie side character who's only been mentioned, but here's hoping he might show up for a bit later on lmao 👀👀 all we know about him is that he's a poet, he's pining for the Speaker who rescued him from redcaps, and apparently he looks like scanlan shorthalt (idk who that is lmao) but with blue hair and pink eyes so take that as you will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy halloween month :)
> 
> Clarkia has a v questionable friend named Wishbone because why not?

"Really now, this is a bit much, don't you think?"

Clarkia rears back, chair screeching against the stained concrete floor from the force of it, as a set of long teeth clack together, grinding, chittering, inches from his face.

"Shut it, _piskie,"_ the redcap snarls, one gnarled hand hooking around a chair leg and dragging it a little closer to the makeshift poker table the other redcaps are gathered around. There's a haze of smoke, but he can still see several sets of large, fiery eyes staring him down. "Either your thieving friend returns the money before midnight, or we'll take what we're owed from you."

Well that doesn't sound absolutely ominous at all.

"And for clarity's sake, what exactly would that be?"

This is the first time he's ever seen a redcap grin, practically from ear to ear. It's not something he wants to see again.

_"Blood."_

Right. Blood. Because they're redcaps. Of course. A chuckle escapes him and it only sounds the slightest bit on the edge of hysteric.

"Oh, wonderful. Any chance you'd be willing to take an IOU?" Clarkia asks with a strained smile; it's not that he doesn't _trust_ Wishbone, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried, especially with his blood - and life - on the line here.

"No," all the redcaps answer at once and Clarkia can't decide if he should be impressed or creeped out by the perfect unison.

Both. He can be both.

The redcap without the concept of personal space tips back the chair he's tied to before Clarkia can say anything else. He hits the freezing floor with a hiss, pain radiating from the back of his skull and the rope burning his wrists. Laughter erupts from the redcaps as they go back to their game of cards, leaving Clarkia on the floor.

With an annoyed huff, blowing his dyed blue hair out of his face, Clarkia reluctantly settles in.

When midnight rolls around, either Wishbone will show up with all the money she owes the redcaps, or...

He shudders. No, best not to think about the _'or'_ in this situation. If only he still had his boot knife, he'd be able to cut himself loose. Sadly the redcaps found it when they grabbed him in the alley behind Moon Eyed. _"Collateral,"_ one of the redcaps had told him once he'd been tied to the chair. Because Wishbone _would_ cheat a bunch of redcaps. Which he would be more impressed by if, y'know, he hadn't been basically kidnapped.

There's nothing else for him to do other than watch the shadows in this poorly lit warehouse, so that's what he does.

Just watches, and watches, and—

The shadows move.

Clarkia blinks, shaking his head, and tries leaning a little closer despite the awkward angle to get a better look.

Long moments pass and nothing else happens. Maybe it was just his imagination, or his head might've hit the ground too hard, or—

There it is again!

Darkness swirls low to the ground like fog, moving from one spot to the next. Then there's a silhouette not far behind the strange fog, far too tall to be Wishbone, so who...?

The sound of a baying hound sends a chill racing up and down his spine, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as his heart beats down his rib cage in a bid to make an escape without him. Shrieks of outrage snap him out of it and he begins to struggle against his binds because that is _definitely_ not Wishbone, and he'd prefer to not get caught in the middle anymore than he already has, thanks.

He hasn't made much progress - or any progress at all - when his chair is pulled upright.

"Are you Clarkia?"

Rooted in place by pale blue eyes and rendered speechless just about the prettiest man he's ever seen, all he can do is nod mutely.

Because words? He knows he has them, but he's not entirely sure they can do the vision before him any justice. Being able to weave words together is his thing, and the fact that he can't in this moment isn't as terrifying as it should be.

The man smiles, and oh. _Oh._ There goes Clarkia's heart, the delicate wings on his back flutter despite being trapped against the chair, soft pink eyes taking in every detail. Something, something, Cupid's arrow.

"I'm Yasha. Ready to get out of here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yasha is p much my go to MC for most COG games, and i guess the closest to a face claim for him is probably [sam eckhardt??](https://64.media.tumblr.com/02edc64f02169fd5a6f661aa17e462a5/tumblr_njit4uOfvD1toduo9o1_1280.jpg) but without the beard and tattoos. haven't found one for his sister Oksana yet tho


	2. in a word, in a phrase

Yasha doesn't even have to look to know that Oksana is trying very hard to not laugh right now.

No, he's far too preoccupied with ~~blushing~~ _staring in wide eyed disbelief_ at the pixie sitting next to him at the diner's counter.

The very same pixie that they'd rescued from redcaps a few hours ago, who is now looking at him in a way that makes the blush Yasha is sort of desperately trying to contain spread further, the tips of his ears flushing a damning red.

"Are you flirting with me?"

Sure, there had been some lingering touches, and maybe he'd gotten a little distracted by the calluses on Clarkia's hands when Yasha had been helping him steady himself after being tied to a chair for so long. And maybe Yasha has been a little enthralled by how passionately Clarkia talks about poetry. Perhaps he'd even caught himself drifting closer as they had walked from the warehouse to this diner. But that doesn't necessarily mean—

"You finally noticed?" Clarkia asks with a sunny grin that just makes Yasha's blush worse.

Oh no.

There's a warm spark in soft pink eyes looking at him almost fondly that casts a new light on the past few hours, and—

_Oh no._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is very short but look i had to write yasha's reaction to "You are no Seer, dearest prophet, but you _are_ a vision!" i figure it was said after a couple hours of subtle flirtation before clarkia realized that you gotta be very blunt with yasha or he will not notice or he'll try to reason it away lmao (at least at first anyway)


End file.
